"It serves me right," said the mule to himself; "had I helped the donkey I should not now be carrying his burden."
—Æsop
WHY THE MAGPIE'S NEST IS BADLY
MADE
Once on a time, when the world was very young, the magpie was the only bird that did not know how to build a nest. She told her trouble to the other birds and they all met to teach her.
"Place that stick there," said the blackbird. He flew over and did it for her himself.
"Oh," said the magpie, "I knew that before."
"Place this stick here," said the thrush, placing it for her.
"Oh," said the magpie, "I knew that before."
The wren and the robin, the goldfinch and the chaffinch, the lark and the swallow, and many other birds went on showing her how to build the nest. As each bit was added, she said, "Oh, I knew that before."
At last, when the nest was only half finished, the birds lost patience with the conceited empty-head.
"Well, Mistress Mag," cried they, flying away, "as you know all about it, you may e'en finish the nest yourself."
That is the reason the magpie's nest is so badly made.
—Folk tale
